Category: News & Updates

The MacRobert Award was established in 1969 by the MacRobert Trust and is now presented by the Royal Academy of Engineering. This year’s awards will be presented on June 23^rd and, according to the chair of the judging panel Dame Sue Ion, each of the nominees will “have a positive impact on millions of people and bolster the UK economy”.

This year’s nominees are examples of excellence in engineering.

Blatchford’s Prosthetic: The Linx

The Linx Limb system from the company Blatchford monitors and adapts to movements to automatically adjust to the environment. This is the first ever prosthetic limb with integrated robotic control of the knee and foot, a system that works together like a human leg.

Previous prosthetic limb models are limited, and their wearers have to plan their days and activities. A pioneering software called Mi², or Motion Integrated Intelligence, helps the central computer act like the brain. With the Linx, sensors across both the knee and the foot act like human nerves that continuously collect data from the wearer, the environment, the activity, and the terrain.

 

Jaguar Land Rover

The Jaguar Land Rover team has designed and manufactured its own engines for the first time in a generation, having built an entire facility from scratch. A new family of Ingenium engines works towards the company’s goal of being completely self-sufficient by the year 2020 in the design and manufacture of engines.

These engines were developed after looking at almost 200 innovative ideas to help reduce emissions and weight while improving performance. Ingenium engines weigh up to 80kg less than present engines, even though they have more features and an increased power output. With the 4 cylinder Ingenium engine, the Jaguar XE is the first ever sub-100/km CO2 2.0L diesel saloon car (at 99g/km).

 

Magnetom Terra by Siemens Magnet Technology

The ground-breaking 7 Tesla (7T) magnet is at the centre of the first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system that is suitable for research and clinical applications. The Magnetom Terra has more than double the field strength of the majority of MRI scanners and it allows for images with higher resolution.

This new technology could aid in diagnosing illnesses like Alzheimer’s earlier than is possible now. Drug development would be assisted through the Magnetom Terra with improved pre-screening of clinical trial participants, which would ensure similar clinical characteristics.

Here at European Springs, being on top of cutting edge technology is essential. Our highly-skilled engineers ensure that our products are crafted to the utmost perfection. If you want to know more about what we do, you can contact us on 0044 7889171165.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to keep up to date with our news and updates.

The UK is a country in need of engineers. Statistics show that this country has to double at least the number of engineering graduates to cover its demand. Women make up just over half of UK population but just 4% work in the engineering sector. Your company might benefit from attracting more women engineers and in March, the Women’s History Month, we want to discuss this issue with you.

 

Why are there not more women in the engineering sector?

The reasons are multiple, but it doesn’t have anything to do with their skills as both male and female students show an equality of results in their Physics and Science GCSE exams. However, some women suffer from the so-called ‘damsel in distress’ syndrome, which means they don’t see themselves as good as men when performing tasks traditionally associated with the latter. Also, the engineering world of today is mainly male dominated, which can discourage some women to take this path.

 

3 Things that can Encourage Women to Choose Engineering

1. Money. This is a very practical aspect but the truth is that the engineering sector has a higher wage than average and it’s on the rise.

2. Support. For those women scared to enter the ‘male’ world of engineering there is lots of organisations that will support them and help them feel part of the group. The Women’s Engineering Society was launched in 1919, and Women into Engineering and Science (WISE) offers support and advice too.

3. Success. There are many successful female engineers out there and their main advice to the ones that are starting on this field is to build confidence. Many women think they’re going to struggle balancing an intense career in engineering and society’s (often antiquated) expectations. However, encouraging women to feel confident and less guilty is the key. If they feel passionate about their talent they should go out and pursue it, even if this requires hiring people to do the house holding or take care of the children.

 

What are other businesses doing to increase the presence of female engineers?

Accenture Consulting set the goal to have a 50% female workforce in their Newcastle office. They found this more difficult than they thought, so they decided to turn to education centres as these are the places where girls can be encouraged to follow an engineering path. They helped to set up an after-school coding club for girls and under the Stemettess initiative they developed an app that runs building workshops for girls.

 

Engineers are people who daily think about strategies and methods to improve every day’s life. Men or women, they have been an essential piece in the history of humanity. European Spring Ireland wants to encourage anyone with an engineering passion whilst offering them an assorted catalogue of springs. Contact us with any inquiry and we’ll be glad to help. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

You’ve designed a product that you’re ready to take to market, but you need some assistance when it comes to deciding on the style of spring or wireform that will enable it to function in the way that you hoped. If this scenario sounds familiar, here at European Springs IE we are experts in determining what solution companies and individuals need for their invention.

Our CNC machinery allows us to create springs and wireforms in a variety of sizes and for numerous specifications, enabling us to offer a truly bespoke service. However, with so many options it can become daunting when determining what style of spring you require.

Therefore, here are a few of the more common springs we create to help you distinguish what it is that you need for your project.

Compression Springs

Undoubtedly, compression springs are our most popular order. They resist a compressive force and are available in an array of shapes and sizes. With the option to choose from conical, cylindrical and an array of different forms, they are a dynamic option.

Furthermore, with multiple materials to choose from and a diverse range of sizes, they can be optimised to perform certain functions to ensure that they are the perfect solution for your product. For instance, the option of using wire springs that are finer than a human hair (from 0.1mm) means they are a viable option for the medical industry.

Tension Springs

Also known as extension springs, these perform by stretching through an application of a force on either side of the coils. When there is no load the individual coils touch, and the spring will always try to revert to this original shape.

This style of spring is most commonly found with lever-based applications, such as door locks.

Torsion Springs

A coiled type of spring, torsion springs use a twisting motion to store energy. The most common types of these springs are single or double varieties, although there are also other variations.

If you’re designing a door hinge or similar device, it is a torsion spring that you will require.

Clock Springs

As their namesake suggests, clock springs are commonly found within watches and wall clocks, but there are also other uses for them. Their exertion of a pushing force from its outer edge as it rotates around a set axis also makes it perfect for scenery retraction in traditional theatres.

Still Unsure About the Type of Spring You Require?

If you still require some guidance about the kind of spring that would work best for your product, please don’t hesitate to speak to one of our experts who will be able to advise you on the perfect spring for your project.

Furthermore, if you know the style of spring or wireform that you need but are unable to determine the exact specifications or size that you require, we are able to help. Our 3D printing capabilities allow us to print a to-scale replica of your product, enabling us to work with it to create the best solution.

For more information, you can call a member of our team on the number at the bottom of this page.

3-D printing has developed at an astounding rate in the last few years; the ability to 3-D print nearly everything brought solutions to problems in a variety of industries, like mechanical engineering and space exploration. And it seems like medicine is also greatly benefiting from this technology, mainly the field of tissue engineering.

Researchers can now print living tissue structures to replace injured or diseased tissue. Their custom-designed printer was able to create structures that were placed in animals, and they succeeded in maintaining those structures alive.

How is it Possible?

The technology, called Tissue and Organ Printing System (ITOP), creates a water-based gel that, once solidified, gains the consistency of living tissue. It also allows blood vessels to be accommodated in that tissue, so they can receive oxygen and nutrients; cells can then be added to the structure. The materials used are bio-degradable and don’t harm the cells.

There is one issue researchers need to overcome, however. Any tissue thicker than 0.2 millimetres doesn’t allow the cells to receive enough oxygen and nutrients, which leads to the necrosis of that tissue.

But, that said, the printed tissue already has a vast array of applications, since it can vary in terms of strength – for example, the gel can solidify into the consistency of muscles, cartilage and bones, and researchers hope that this will lead to the printing of other human tissues.

Why This Matters

The implications for the field of medicine are extremely important. Since living tissue structures can now be printed to replace injured or diseased tissue, ITOP has the potential to bioprint tissue and cartilage for people with missing body parts, meaning reconstructions with bioprinted organs could be widely available in the future.

And the shortage of donated organs could be solved by simply having them custom-made for each patient – or, at least, the waiting lists for organ transplant could be greatly reduced. To have a body part that perfectly fits, the scientists involved in the project need to use imaging techniques and allow for the transferring of that data to their software, which could then be printed to flawlessly match the patient.

 

Here at European Springs Ireland, we’re interested in the advancements made in the engineering industry every day, like in 3-D printing, and we pride ourselves of offering top quality products that help move it forward – this is why we’re compression spring manufacturers as well as providers of information on these recent developments.

If you want to know more about what we do, don’t hesitate to contact us or call us on 028 9083 8605. Alternatively, you can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Here at European Springs IE, we’re pretty seasoned in creating wireforms for you to then go on and create your own pieces of tech. However, we also like to see what the next generation of budding engineers are up to, and how they are being encouraged to join our ranks.

The most recent announcement about inspiring kids to take up STEM is from Minecraft, who said they are creating an educational edition of the game. So here’s how the Microsoft-owned computer programme are planning to encourage children into engineering, along with plans from other companies.

MinecraftEdu

More than 7,000 classrooms across the globe already use Minecraft in some shape or form to make learning more dynamic and fun for children. However, the gaming giant are also planning to roll out a more structured edition of the game that will aid lessons about English, Maths and Science.

Using a computer game as an aid to lessons will not just make lessons more fun, it will also encourage children to think in a more scientific way.

Computer Programming

Coding is now a part of the national curriculum because it is such a valuable skill to have. This obviously has positive implications, allowing children to enjoy and learn how to build virtual programmes that they may enjoy playing on at home.

In fact, there have been articles showing that kids enjoy computer programming outside of their school hours and have taken it up as a hobby with their friends. Across Scotland, for instance, there are Coderdojo clubs whereby those aged 12-17 can go along and code.

Lego Challenges

Similar to the club-mentality that is found with the Coderdojos, kids are also able to create robots and compete in international championships known as the First Lego League. This year’s theme is ‘Trash Trek’, which will encourage more than 250,000 children between the ages of 9 to 16 to think like an engineer by solving the real-world problem of waste. Furthermore, they will also build, test and program an autonomous robot to solve a set of missions in the Robot Challenge.

If you’re interested in creating the next generation of technology but need springs or wireforms to bring it all together, we can help! As part of a company that was first established in 1948, we have a wealth of experience and expertise that we are just waiting to share with you and your project.

For more information about how our services can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 07889 171 165. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with our latest news!